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3 reasons to block wi-fi and phone signals to workplace bathrooms.

Many workplaces recognize the drag on work time if staff are checking in on their mobile phone to catch up on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, What’s App etc. HR departments have introduced guidelines on use of mobile phones. Many have restricted access to wi-fi networks to business approved usage only. But with cheap data usage plans plenty of staff are still “always on” as long as they have a phone signal. Maybe it is time to monitor bathroom behavior in your business.

Productivity

It is a no-brainer that staff members who are accessing their social media feeds are taking time away from their work. In certain types of business this impact can be significant. For people working on complex data tasks an interruption to analysis can result in a 20 minute “recalibration” penalty as the staff member picks up from where they previously left off.

If you are engaged in a complex task, or something that needs a lot of concentration (think about sitting exams) a bathroom break can be a moment when you order your thoughts on how to approach the task at hand. How often have you worked out the solution to a problem by going for a walk, or eating lunch, while mulling over the problem? But if that time is spent checking social media feed the brain is distracted. Instead of working out the problem at hand the brain is leaping from photos of friends lunches to the latest on Royal Weddings.

By making the bathroom in the office a data black hole you help staff members to avoid the lure of the device in their pocket.

Health

If people are in the habit of checking their phone in the bathroom there will be implications for the spread of germs. This is not rocket science. When have you last seen someone wash their iPhone in the sink?

Think about that next time you borrow someones phone! Yuck.

Congestion

The hidden cost of phone usage in bathrooms is congestion. Staff members are taking longer to use the bathroom because they are checking the phone. Male staff members are more likely to use a stall instead of a urinal because they can scan their feed. This causes lost time, but hides a more insidious issue.

Buildings are designed around the flow of people. A building is designed with an optimal number of bathrooms for staff, based on research into usage parameters. There have to be enough toilets to handle the maximum demand periods. If each staff member is spending just a few extra seconds using the bathroom, checking their phone, this has knock on consequences for office design and consequently the cost of office space.

Summary

Bathrooms are designed for going to the lavatory. If they are designed to block phone and wi-fi signals they will operate more effectively for their intended purpose.